In the sprawling landscapes of Southern California, where residential pools dot the suburban neighborhoods, a unique subculture thrives. Led by Steve Alba, revered as the godfather of pool skating, a group of enthusiasts has found a novel way to merge their love for skateboarding with the practical task of pool maintenance.

The Allure of Skating Pools

With over 10 million residential pools in the United States, the allure of an empty swimming pool in Southern California is irresistible to skateboarders. It’s a blank canvas for daring maneuvers and gravity-defying tricks. But before the thrills begin, there’s the less glamorous work of cleaning the pool. Despite his age of 61, Alba still rolls up his sleeves and offers his services for free, provided homeowners allow him and his friends to skate in the emptied pool afterward.

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Alba’s van is a mobile workshop, equipped with all the tools needed for pool maintenance alongside a crucial addition: a skateboard. For decades, Alba has been at the forefront of pool skating culture, embodying the spirit of exploration and ingenuity that defines the sport. “The ultimate goal is to skate the pool,” Alba explained to the Wall Street Journal, reflecting on his lifelong passion for finding and riding the perfect transition.

Skating Pools Goes Way Back

The concept of skating empty pools harks back to the 1970s, an era when skateboarders repurposed backyard pools and urban terrain to emulate the sensation of surfing. Today, with skateparks aplenty, some skaters still crave the raw, organic experience of navigating the curves and transitions of a pool’s concrete shell.

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The allure of backyard pools is deeply primal for skateboarders. While city-sanctioned skate parks abound—with the Skatepark Project, a California-based nonprofit, estimating around 3,500 in the U.S. in 2019—to dedicated pool skaters, purpose-made bowls and ramps can feel repetitive and almost too simplistic, particularly when they’re inundated by scooter-pushing tweens.

Skaters Willing To Clean Pools For Pool Time

Pitching their services to homeowners requires finesse and persuasion. Ozzie Ausband, another enthusiast of pool skating, utilizes satellite imagery and a personal charm to win over potential clients. His pitch includes promises of regular maintenance, respectful usage, and a demonstration of his skating skills to reassure homeowners of his credibility.

For homeowners, the allure lies not just in the novelty of having skateboarders in their backyard but also in the practical benefits. Salba Pool Cleaning doesn’t just drain and skate; they also undertake yard maintenance tasks and repairs as needed. Ausband, explained that the homeowner is essentially getting a free service, so long as the crew at Salba Pool Cleaning can bring their boards and skate the pool when the job is done.

Getting a ‘Permission Pool’

Initially met with skepticism, their unconventional proposition has evolved into a successful endeavor over the decades. Their pitch now includes the signing of liability waivers to address homeowners’ concerns.

For many homeowners burdened with neglected pools, the proposition is a blessing. What was once an eyesore transforms into a hub of excitement. Alba and his crew recognize the untapped potential hidden beneath neglect. To them, the ideal pool isn’t just defined by its shape but also by the quality of its surface, particularly favoring pools constructed between 1950 and 1977.

However, the service isn’t without its challenges. Skating can leave its mark on pools, requiring repairs and repainting. Participating in a skate session at a “permission pool” often involves contributing to chores. Lance Mountain, a seasoned pro and a Nike skateboarding team member, endured hay fever while assisting with yard work to earn pool time. On one occasion, Mountain found himself pouring and shaping concrete with his fellow skaters to resurface a pool bottom. They labored until late into the night, illuminated solely by iPhone flashlights.

Worth The Price of Admission

Yet, for many homeowners like Daniel Lizarde, the agreement was well worth it. After Salba Pool Cleaning finished their work, Lizarde’s pool was restored from a duck pond to its former glory. The homeowner was pleased he could see the bottom of his pool for the first time in ages.

Overall, the give-and-take nature of the arrangement between pool owners and Salba Pool Cleaning is a symbiotic relationship of sorts where both parties benefit. Pool owners receive much-needed maintenance services and a revitalized pool space, while Alba and his crew gain access to unique skating opportunities and foster meaningful connections within their community.

Featured Photo Credit: Steve Alba @salba69

Leslie’s AccuBlue Home® Delivers First 10-Point At-Home Pool and Spa Water Testing Solution to Ensure a Safe 2024 Swim Season

PHOENIX, March 26, 2024 – Clear-looking pool water is mistakenly assumed to be safe for swimming, according to a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by Leslie’s, the leading and most trusted consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry.

According to the poll, 71% of those surveyed believe that clear water is clean and safe for swimming. However, even clear water can contain contaminants that pose a danger to swimmers, and pool owners shouldn’t assume a pool is safe just because the water is clear.

The news arrives as Leslie’s launches its water safety education campaign for the 2024 swim season. Leslie’s is spreading awareness of the three primary tenets of pool safety: maintaining healthy and safe water, securing the pool area, and participating in swimming lessons and water safety education.

“As we head into the 2024 swim season, our aim is to help educate pool owners on the tenets of pool safety. Among those tenets is maintaining healthy water, and we make it easy for pool owners to test and treat their water, creating a safe environment for all,” said Clay Spann, SVP of Merchandising at Leslie’s.

“We aren’t surprised by these survey results, as there are many misconceptions related to pool water chemistry,” Spann said. “The only way to really know if pool water is clean, healthy, and safe for swimming is to check if the water is properly balanced and sanitized. To be certain of this, owners must regularly test the pool water’s chemistry makeup and precisely measure 10 different components, including pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, metals, phosphates, sanitizer levels, and more.”

The Leslie’s/Harris Poll survey also revealed that 71% of Americans who are responsible for maintaining a pool say keeping water safe is complicated, a misperception Leslie’s aims to correct with its AccuBlue® and AccuBlue Home® testing and treatment solutions.

Leslie’s makes water testing simple with its industry-leading AccuBlue technology — the only pool and spa water test that covers all 10 water chemistry components. In just 60 seconds, this free, in-store water test delivers a hardcopy printout with a water quality score and step-by-step customized water treatment plan to help keep pool water balanced. Pool and spa owners have relied upon this professional-grade testing over the past six decades, with more than 50 million tests conducted by Leslie’s store teams.

The same survey revealed that 81% of Americans who maintain their own pools wish there was a home technology solution for comprehensive 10-point pool water testing.

Last May, Leslie’s made water testing even easier and more convenient when the company launched its AccuBlue Home® membership program, which offers the same leading in-store testing technology, engineered into a compact at-home device. The AccuBlue Home testing device connects to the Leslie’s app to deliver a water quality score and customized water treatment plan to the user’s mobile phone or tablet.

Since its launch, AccuBlue Home has been embraced by pool owners, who value its convenience and accuracy. The membership program has earned a nearly five-star rating in member reviews with comments echoing exactly what it is designed to do: “takes all the guesswork out of testing your pool water” and “this little machine does everything the one in the store does.”

AccuBlue Home: How It Works
The technology is sophisticated, but the process is simple.

Users simply insert a pool water sample into the water test disk and place it into the AccuBlue Home testing device. They then open Leslie’s app on their mobile device to start the test, and AccuBlue Home does the rest. Light wavelengths pass through the water sample to precisely measure the water’s chemistry makeup, and the app delivers the water test quality score and a step-by-step customized treatment plan in just 60 seconds. The app enables pool and spa owners to order home delivery of chemicals needed to execute the water treatment plan.

An AccuBlue Home membership costs $50 a month, which includes the home testing device for free, as well as $50 in Leslie’s credits each month for purchases online, in app, or in stores. AccuBlue Home members can use their monthly credit to purchase any products from Leslie’s, including sanitizers and balancing chemicals, as well as floats, games, and other accessories to make the most out of pool days.

Marianne Trusty, president of Pool Magazine, said, “We’ve long recognized the importance of comprehensive 10-point testing for healthy and safe water and to maintain the longevity of pool equipment. Leslie’s has always been a leader, and it’s remarkable that they have driven their in-store technology into such a sleek device and an easy-to-use approach for pool and hot tub water testing.”

Virtual Pool Water Assistant
The AccuBlue Home device, measuring just 4.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches tall, is small, stylish, and self-contained, resembling a virtual assistant device — in this case, a virtual pool water assistant. It incorporates photometric testing technology with optical sensors, as well as a centrifuge, replaceable test disks, and more.

Click here to learn more about AccuBlue Home, the first at-home pool and spa water testing solution that covers 10 crucial water chemistry components with a membership program that pays for itself. 

About Leslie’s 
Founded in 1963, Leslie’s is the largest and most trusted direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry. The Company serves the aftermarket needs of residential and professional consumers with an extensive and largely exclusive assortment of essential pool and spa care products. The Company operates an integrated ecosystem of more than 1,000 physical locations and a robust digital platform, enabling consumers to engage with Leslie’s whenever, wherever, and however they prefer to shop. Its dedicated team of associates, pool and spa care experts, and experienced service technicians are passionate about empowering Leslie’s consumers with the knowledge, products, and solutions necessary to confidently maintain and enjoy their pools and spas.

For more information about Leslie’s, visit lesliespool.com or follow and engage with us: @lesliespoolcare on Instagram, Leslie’s on Facebook, and @lesliespoolcare on Twitter.

Survey Method:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Leslie’s from March 5-7, 2024, among 2,087 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 314 are maintaining a pool. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

Media: Mardi Larson, Amendola for Leslie’s, [email protected], 612.384.4383

SOURCE Leslie’s, Inc.

In 2023, the “smart home” concept continues to trend. Homeowners want a more maintenance-free space with automated thermostats, lights, blinds, and more. 

However, this concept can also enhance and improve outdoor spaces, and it’s especially appealing to pool owners. With automation in their toolkit, pool professionals can make a splash and make their customers’ lives easier.

Diving into pool pump automation.

Every good story begins with a hero. One of the unsung heroes of the pool industry is variable speed and flow technology. What makes variable speed and flow so notable is its incredible energy efficiency. In fact, with a third-generation IntelliFlo3® Variable Speed and Flow Pump, pool owners can save up to 90%* on energy consumption. With optional onboard relays to provide automated control of two additional pieces of equipment, pool owners can control additional devices like lighting or salt chlorinators.

While options like this are a great solution for small-scale automation, it’s possible to put most of your customer’s pool features on one easy-to-use management system. And when it comes to the pool, homeowners crave peace of mind! They want the ease of knowing their pool is in great hands and utilizing reliable products and technology. Enter automation systems, a more effortless solution to provide pool pros with a bird’s eye view of problems and the ability to troubleshoot in advance, thus increasing efficiency and delivering white glove service that takes the stress off customers.

Helping customers understand their pool equipment pad and how everything works together is essential. Think of a pool as a person; the chemicals you add to the pool water are like white blood cells, attacking germs and keeping the environment clean. Filters take in dirty water, reduce contaminants, and push out cleaner water, like the lungs of the pool. The automation system is a bit like its brain, sending signals to the different body parts to ensure they’re working accordingly.

Automation systems like the IntelliCenter® Pool Control System provide versatile control. Controlling colored lights, water features, and more with an automation system is a breeze! Pool owners can effortlessly set automation schedules, monitor pool and spa status, and check water chemistry.

Using tools like the Pentair Pro app, pool professionals can also remotely monitor their customers’ automation system. With remote monitoring, pool owners can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy peace of mind knowing their trusted pool service professional can check in and troubleshoot problems anytime, anywhere.

Help your customers RULE THE POOL!

With automation in your arsenal, it’s easy to curate the dreamiest backyard oasis for your customer. Any pool can be transformed from a mundane natatorium to an enchanting water wonderland with connected products. 

The ruler of this watery kingdom is your customer – all they’ll need is the Pentair Home app on their smartphone. With this easy-to-use app, pool owners can monitor and control their pool equipment from anywhere in the world. With the Pentair Home app and automation working together, your customers’ lives become easier. Long gone are the days of frustrating pool management, and here to stay is the era of a fully connected, smart pool equipment pad. 

With an easy-to-manage lineup of pool equipment, pool owners can make more time for the things that really matter: family, memory-making, and poolside relaxation. By providing them with a reliable and connected pool equipment pad, you help them rule the pool.

To learn more, visit pentair.com/intelliflo3 hub or pentair.com/intellicenterhub.

*Savings based on variable speed pump compared to a single-speed pump running 12 hours per day at an average of $0.16 per kWh in a 20,000-gallon pool. Actual savings may vary based on local utility rates, pool size, pump run time, pump horsepower, pump rpm, plumbing size and length, pump model, service factor, and other hydraulic factors. Individual Weighted Energy Factor (WEF) scores and savings may vary by model. 

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